Global Lifts and Escalators Expo 2016

Dhaka is again a top destination for national and international players.

The second international elevator industry expo, the Global Lifts and Escalators (GLE) Expo 2016, was held in the scenic city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 16–18. The event focused on the global market for elevators, escalators, home lifts and related components.

This first expo was held in 2015 at the same venue. It was Bangladesh’s first-ever international elevator-industry event. Establishing partnerships, forging connections between national and international players and leveraging opportunities for business expansion, the event received great support from the industry in Bangladesh. It attracted more than 100 exhibitors, and quickly became a priority event for architects, builders, developers, project consultants and housing societies. Participants shared success stories, and buyers, sellers and industry organizations said they gained significant traction. The scenario in 2016 was no different.

GLE Expo 2016 at Dhaka saw wholehearted participation from across the globe and neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, China, Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, Korea, Turkey, Greece, Malaysia, Switzerland and the U.S. to witness and experience the latest in vertical transportation through live demonstrations and displays.

Anitha Raghunath, director of expo host Virgo Communications, stated:

“This year’s GLE Expo was even better than the one in 2015 in terms of brand participation, as well as visitor profile. It would seem the Bangladeshi market and global brands have recognized the significance of the platform created and chosen to attend to maximize the benefit from this exposure. The local and global players that participated achieved the objective of brand promotion and new-business generation.”

Spread over 3,100 m2, the GLE Expo showcased more than 100 stalls from brands like Schindler, KONE, Sicher Elevator Co. Ltd., LM Liftmaterials (Germany), Mashiba, Sanei, General, IFE Elevators, Diao Sino (Germany), Suzhou Deao Elevator Co. Ltd., Yaskawa, Arkel (Turkey), Hengda Fuji Elevator Co. Ltd., Koyo, Sanyo, BLT, Goshin, Shengda, Orona (Spain), Xizi, Nova, Fuji Yida, Sword (China), Hansan (South Korea), Telco (Greece), Sicor (Italy), Movilift (Italy), Star lift Inc. (South Korea), Sigma (South Korea), Shandong FJZY Elevator, Shandong BOLT Elevator, Shanghai GOODGO Elevator Co. Ltd., Shanghai Sunny Elevator Co. Ltd., Canny Elevator Co. Ltd., Suzhou Sunny Elevator Co. Ltd. and Greek company Doppler — to name a few. The expo attracted close to 3,000 visitors over three days.

There were quite a few partnerships forged and contracts signed. Sicher Elevator and the Ministry of Construction & Labor of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh signed a cooperation agreement, as well as a contract to supply 178 elevators and escalators to the Uttara apartment project, at the GLE Expo.

Uday Kulkarni, president of Schindler India & South Asia, observed:

“GLE Expo is the dedicated show in Bangladesh focusing on vertical mobility technologies. It is an ideal platform for networking and exchanging expertise with various industry stakeholders. We are very confident that the success of the GLE Expo will enable us to further strengthen the Schindler brand
in Bangladesh.”

Speaking of their success at the event, Faria Samreen Nizam, director at KONE Lifts & Escalators Bangladesh, added:

“The expo met my expectations. There was a lovely influx of people who were genuinely interested in purchasing lifts and escalators, so that worked well for KONE. We ensured we had a lot of our existing and potential customers attend the fair, and we also indulged in a lot of direct marketing at the expo to ensure heavy foot traffic. We want the expo to come out in an even bigger and stronger way in the media in 2018, and as KONE representatives, we will ensure we help the organizers achieve that to the best of our ability.”

First-time participant Md. Akramul Kabir of Mashiba-Horizon Techno Ltd. described the event as outstanding, adding his company made many good contacts that are expected to lead to contracts.

For companies that want to expand, GLE Expo Dhaka 2016 proved to be an ideal platform to test products’ market potential and explore partnerships and joint ventures, all under one roof. The next GLE Expo is planned for Colombo, Sri Lanka, later this year. It hopes to recreate the excitement of Dhaka in the Sri Lankan capital.